


Performance

by RadioactiveRoulette



Series: What Lies Below [10]
Category: Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27612832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioactiveRoulette/pseuds/RadioactiveRoulette
Summary: Cyderi shows a bit of backstory, how scandalous. Astarion shows a bit of vulnerability.
Relationships: Astarion (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Astarion/Charname (Baldur's Gate), Astarion/Female Charname (Baldur's Gate)
Series: What Lies Below [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985663
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	Performance

**Author's Note:**

> Written, edited, and posted from my phone. Let me know if you see any glaring mistakes, we've discussed this at length and they know they're at least supposed to smile welcomingly.

"Are you gonna buy somethin, or are you just going to continue staring like a git?" The goblin shuffles impatiently, his surprisingly luxurious hair feathering around a less appealing face. Cyderi almost loses her composure as Gale squares his eyes, seeming caught between a witty retort and keeping the peace. He shoots her a stern look - clearly she only did so well holding it together. Still, Gale looks close to bursting a blood vessel, so she sidles over with a condescending veneer falling into place over her dark features. The goblin scrambles to attention as she draws near, attitude all but forgotten. "Your dark and drowyness! I'm sure I got summat will please a keen eye like yours." 

Cyderi takes a slow walk around the wares on offer. Letting a frown grace her stern features she hums her disappointment at the showing. "Pity. I thought you might have something worthwhile." With a put upon sigh, she turns to leave. "Ah, well. I suppose I'll see if that fellow in the fantastic pants has anything on offer." 

"Those pants er uglier than a troll ass, you can't be serious! Here. Take another gander, I'll even give you a discount. Seeing as your chosen and whatnot!" 

Spinning around, Cyderi walks back towards the goblin, distain etched in every line of her face. "I doubt you have anything I'll be interested in." She hums again, rubbing a gloved finger over her lips, deep in thought. "I do find you quite intriguing, dear me. What to do." With a snap of her fingers she lets her lips part on an exclamation. "Of Course! Tell you what. I'll let you buy these skulls from me as a personal, uh. Tribute to the Absolute." She shoots him a sideways glance, pulling her bag off her back. "I'm sure such a showing would get you her favor with little issue." Dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, she continues. "Certainly enough to distance yourself from the paltry showing the others would provide."

Considering, the goblin scratches his temple. "How much?"

"Worth far more than you have, certainly. But, since I'm feeling quite generous, I'll accept whatever you have on hand, and we will call it even." Cyderi flashes a small restrained smile. 

The goblin considers briefly before handing over a bag of gold, eagerly accepting the dozen or so skulls she'd tucked away haphazardly after the adventure to the crypt. Nodding solemnly, Cyderi turned sharply and strode out of camp. To their credit, her companions followed with little complaint. 

They are well outside of the camp when she hears a disgruntled yell, and she can't help but grin at the anguish in that voice. A slow clap knocks her out of her thoughts and she turns to see Astarion grinning wider than she's ever seen before as he meters his pace to keep even with hers. 

"Bravo, I didn't think you had it in you. You are quite the interesting little cleric, aren't you?" He appraises her, as if truly seeing her for the first time. "Where'd you learn that?" 

"The specific talent of selling skulls to a goblin? That's a new one." Cyderi speaks calmly, lengthening her stride a bit to put some distance between them. 

"A new… is that the first time you've bluffed someone?" Astarion's stride effortlessly matches hers, an outraged sort of glee emanating from him. "Darling you do work well under pressure, don't you?" His smile gets a little to pointed, voice lilting as he continues. "Or perhaps you were just basking in their eagerness to please your...ah what was it? Dark eminence?" His voice is thick with mocking, but it brings a flash of color across Cyderi's face. She increases her pace again, and to her displeasure, Astarion does the same. He flashes a smile, fangs on display. "Is that what it takes to get your blood going?" 

"I don't see how that could possibly be your business, even if it were true." She's reached the limit of her gait, anything more will force her into a run, and she wonders momentarily if just running away from the conversation would cause her less embarrassment than this farce of a conversation. "I can't say their strange admiration isn't useful though." She shrugs, patting the heavy coin purse at her side. "It isn't like anyone else was getting anywhere with that group, right Gale?" She shoots a cheeky smile over her shoulder to no response. "Gale?" Turning entirely, realization dawns and her face reddens. She and Astarion have outpaced the group. Gale and Wyll are making a valiant effort to close the distance, but they are woefully out of earshot. 

Astarion lounges against a nearby tree, the act of supporting his own body clearly too much for him as he watches her. "You and I are well matched it seems. A terrible quality for an adversary." 

Taking a page from his book, she perches on a nearby boulder. She stretches, joints cracking before crossing her arms and assessing him more fully. "I wasn't aware we were so close."

Astarion's bark of laughter catches them both off guard, if his fleeting look is any indication. "Neither was I." Astarion shrugs, rolling one shoulder lazily. "You did a remarkable job of dodging my question though. Where did you learn such an intriguing little skill? I wouldn't think clerics predisposed to such elaborate shows."

Cyderi considers him, deciding how much of her truth to share. "You clearly haven't met some of the… more interesting clerics then."

Astarion tuts, pushing off his backrest to casually lean against her rock. "I'm hurt. Nothing of your intriguing past?" 

"Community theater." She deadpans.

"In the Underdark?" Astarion snorts. "I'm not sure if I want you to be lying or telling me the truth with that one." 

"A little of both, I suppose. I almost became a bard." 

Astarion lets out a belabored sigh. "And instead of that fascinating reality, you leave me with this. How dreadfully boring."

"Just another notch closer to becoming your nemesis, I suppose. Can't wait." She quirks a small smile, the moment lasting a tad too long as he considers her. He turns languidly, elbow resting lightly on her knee in an almost companionable way, catching her off guard - but then she hears a huffing labored breathing as Wyll and Gale come into view over the crest of the hill. 

Gale and Wyll take a moment, assessing the scene as they pretend, albeit unconvincingly, not to be winded. Astarion turns towards the two, a forced surprise falling over his features. "Oh good, there you are. We were ready to call in a search party." 

Wyll looks mildly annoyed. "I'd really like to know why we popped into a gobbo camp, turned round twice and left in a proper hurry." He gestures towards Astarion with an aborted wave. "Suppose this is his doing?"

"Ah ah, not this time. You've our ever so talented leader to thank for this one." Astarion's smile, while pleasant enough, does not reach his eyes. 

"I'm not getting into this again." Cyderi slides off the rock, Astarion's arm coming to rest on the boulder where her knee had been, and she feels weirdly bolstered by his presence as she continues. "We needed information before we went in swinging wildly, Wyll. And now I know we are woefully under equipped for this endeavor. Running in, swords drawn without a plan, would surely end us on the wrong side of the dirt. There's just too many of them, too few of us."

She hears Astarion murmur a soft sound of assent as she continues. "We're short on sell-swords around here, but now," She unties the hefty pouch of money from her hip, offering it towards the group. "We can at least outfit ourselves a bit better, yes?"

Wyll gingerly holds the pouch, whistling softly. "Well, who am I to question results like these? You're the boss." 

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun quick one to write. When I got to the goblin camp, I ended up with a glitchy trade window, and the goblin with fabulous hair gave me his full stack of gold for a few skulls in my bag. Maybe he's a collector, I won't pry.
> 
> No longer possessed of enough coin to condition his luxurious mane, he was struck with instant buyers remorse and attacked me a few moments later. I assume the game read as if I'd picked the coin from his pocket. Needless to say I was not ready for that fight. 
> 
> Also mentioned the glitch where everyone lags behind my MC except for Astarion... he's a professional jogger apparently.


End file.
